A Walk Along the Waterfront by Sophie Fenwick

I have been documenting, like an archivist, images of the waterfront in New York and of other port cities around the world. I am affected by the environment and aesthetics of the city through its port. New York is a fine example of a city that has prospered due to its history as one of the largest ports in the world.

The places in these photographs recall history silently. They are uninhabited, yet not lonely or frightening, serene and calm, not static, for the sound and movement of the coastal tide stirs all that surrounds it. The wooden docks along Bush Terminal, the warehouses on Water Street, emanating the stale smell of spices, trolley tracks, old tugs buried in the water and overgrown piers. Each retains such a noble disposition and endures.

My attempt is to reanimate these forgotten treasures, to recall a past by giving it my attention, and possibly glorify these sites which surround this town like a crumbling fort.

Sophie Fenwick studied photography in Paris at Parsons School of Design and in New York at the International Center of Photography. She has exhibited her work in both cities and has worked as an assistant photo editor at Magnum Photos. In 1995 Fenwick launched and produced Cine Club, a bimonthly film series, and she has helped curate and organize film series and retrospectives throughout NYC. She currently programs film projections for Ocularis in Williamsburgh, Brooklyn.